Friday, January 30, 2009

Tomorrow is another day

I was asked to name my favorite quote, and the one that immediately came to mind was Margaret Mitchell’s, “I can’t think about it today; I’ll think about it tomorrow.” Scarlett O’Hara used this phrase (or something similar) throughout Gone with the Wind. And, it is probably fitting that it’s the first one that came to mind. It's practically my motto.

I have a tendency to procrastinate. Now, in case you are considering hiring me, I do not procrastinate when it comes to freelance work. Something about not getting paid until I have finished the job inspires me to work quickly.

My home to do list is a different story. I’ve been known to move items from one day to the next, until finally they vanish from the list altogether, which means, I’m ashamed to admit, they never get done. A fine example is my children’s scrapbooks. Don’t get me wrong; I’m very proud of my kids. I save every certificate, drawing and report card, but instead of putting them in a nice, organized, decorative album that they can keep for the rest of their lives, I shove them in a storage bin.

I’m so overwhelmed with it that I’ve been meaning to hire the teenage neighbor to help (Okay, who am I fooling?), rather, to do it for me. Alas, it’s yet to be done because I’ve yet to call. In fact, I’m not even sure that item has made it to my to do list. Perhaps this summer.

Otherwise, one day, when my children have graduated and are ready to move away, I’ll pass along my treasure trove of items to them. I picture them looking at the storage bins full of memorabilia, shoving them in the closet out of the way, as they shake their heads and wonder why I saved all that stuff. They might even make a mental to do list to put them all in an album someday.

In the meantime, I hope they won’t hold my procrastination against me. I pray they’ll remember me as a mom who was busy attending their events, laughing at their jokes, and praising their artwork, even if I couldn’t tell a robot from a snowman. And, as far as the rest of my list, I can’t think about it today. I’ll think about it tomorrow…After all, tomorrow is another day.

About Me

Take one Georgia-based writer, mix with humor and everyday life, and you have Life as Leigh sees it.
Meredith Leigh Knight is an award-winning writer and columnist who — when she’s not playing dress up and taking refuge among adults at her corporate communication job — is continually pondering the mysteries of motherhood, such as why the words “Hey, Mom!” are never followed by anything good.
You may contact her at leighslifeblog@aol.com or follow her on Twitter at @leighslifeblog.